When you’re looking for a new job, your resume is the first thing a potential employer uses to evaluate you. Listing your most relevant skills and accompanying keywords helps your resume stand out and makes it less likely to be filtered out by an applicant tracking system. But it’s possible to write yourself out of a job by including the wrong information on your resume. ‌

So, what should not be included in a resume so that you can improve your chances of getting your dream job? To create an optimal resume presentation that makes you stand out, omit the following items:

#1 Leave Out Your Irrelevant Work History

‌If you’re applying for an entry level position or if you’re new to your chosen industry, it’s easier to keep your resume under a page. For more established professionals, it’s tempting to include every position you’ve ever had along with lengthy descriptions of each job. 

‌‌More concise yet powerful resumes are easier to scan for relevant information. When describing your applicable positions and skills, stick with more details for your most recent work history (8-10 years) and highlight transferable skills from other jobs. Potential employers want to hire you based on what they perceive your current skill set to be, and that is why your experience in the last decade is weighed the most. 

#2 Check For Grammatical Errors and Misspellings

‌Before sending your resume to any job posting, proofread it for mistakes. Keep in mind that resume language is different from prose, but blatant misspellings and grammatical errors need to be corrected. Spelling and grammatical errors signal a lack of attention to detail, and they are an easy way to weed out applicants. Any kind of spelling and grammatical errors can be a deciding factor in whether or not you get an interview. 

If you’re not comfortable proofing your own resume, have someone look it over before using it to apply for jobs. ‌Reading your resume out loud can help you restructure your job descriptions and accomplishment statements so they flow. 

#3 Don’t Add Photos

‌It can be tempting to add a headshot to your resume, but it’s not necessary. Photos take up space that can be used to show your pertinent skills. Some applicant tracking systems can’t read photos, so adding one to your resume could get it tossed before the hiring manager ever sees it. 

‌‌You likely have a professional headshot on your LinkedIn profile, and if an employer is interested in you, they will probably look there (pro tip: it helps if you include a hyperlink to your profile on your resume header). Don’t waste space on your resume, and instead focus on showcasing why you’re the best applicant for the job. 

#4 Ensure Your Formatting Is Reader Friendly

Are you using big blocks of text? Or perhaps you’re trying to include too much information to ensure you have the best chances of landing your dream position? In order to ‘wow’ your recruiter, your resume should have a friendly reader experience, and wordiness will only distract from this mission. Since most recruiters scan resumes for the right skills in a matter of seconds, the last thing you would want is to cause overwhelm and confusion.

The best course of action is to use as few words as possible to demonstrate your value as an employee. Eliminate any distractions, such as competing visuals, and ensure that there is plenty of white space that acts as a border between various positions. To ensure clarity, make sure each line logically leads to the next in terms of meaning, chronology, and 

#5 Steer Clear of Buzzwords

Although your resume should include targeted keywords that match the job for which you’re applying, steer clear of buzzwords. These are words or phrases that are overused and end up cluttering your resume. Examples of buzzwords include: 

• ‌Extensive experience
• ‌Expert
• ‌Team player
• ‌Dynamic
• ‌Hard-working
• Diligent
• Strategic
• Focused
• Passionate

‌‌This is not a comprehensive list of general buzzwords to avoid. Your resume should be tailored to your desired position and adding words like those listed above just serves as fluff or filler. Instead of peppering your resume with buzzwords, use actionable language to illustrate your skills and experience. 

‌#6 Leave Out The Objective Statement

‌Whether to include an objective statement on your resume has been a debatable topic lately. Some resume experts stand by the objective statement, while others say you can scrap it in favor of a value proposition or similar language.

‌‌If you choose to keep your objective statement, don’t be generic with it. Use this statement to summarize who you are and how you can add value to the company in your desired role. Tailor it to the position you are applying for. 

#7 Avoid Generic Job Descriptions

‌When describing your previous work experience, emphasize your accomplishments and demonstrate how you achieved results for your employer. Everyone performs differently in their roles. This is a way to show what you did in the role and approached the work. Simply including a list of duties and tasks you performed at your job doesn’t illustrate your skills. Copying a job description is bland and outdated.

‌‌Include specific examples of how you contributed to your company while doing your job. Instead of writing “responsible for managing the filing system,” use actionable language and show your results. Try: “Implemented a new filing system leading to a 20% reduction in research times.” 

#8 Your Salary History

‌Most companies don’t negotiate salary until after the first interview. Including your salary history can exclude you from the applicant pool. It can also negatively impact your ability to negotiate. If your noted salary history is lower than comparable job descriptions, the company may try to start you at a pay that is too low. 

#9 Your Personal Information

As tempting as it can be to humanize yourself to your potential employer, including personal information in your resume is definitely a no-no and can paint you as someone with weak personal boundaries. Steer clear of volunteering any information about your living address, marital status, sexual orientation, political preferences, non-professional abilities, and likes and dislikes. 

Remember, resumes are tools that don’t pitch you as a person but rather your skills as a potential asset to an organization. When it comes to connecting with a new employer, do keep the boundaries between your personal and professional life clear and focus on your skills instead of who you are as a person. Once you land that job, then you can impress everyone with your personality!

How to Stand Out With Your Resume

Having been in the industry for some time, we have seen all kinds of resume no-nos and helped correct them so that our clients’ resumes stand out and help them land their dream jobs. Over time, we’ve discovered what works and what doesn’t to maximize on their hiring success. 

Here are just a few of some of our incredibly helpful resources that can help you write a stand out resume and expedite your job search:

Common Resume Questions Answered

How to Showcase Your Individual Approach and Define Your Professional Brand

What’s the Most Important Part of Your Resume? The Answers May Suprise You

Get Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile Noticed With Keyword Optimization

Craft The Perfect Resume With Capstone

‌There are many ways to structure your resume, and your applicable skills and job titles can vary based on your desired position. You may think that your resume highlights valuable skills and shows how you can benefit a company, but it might not have the right value proposition or include correct keywords for your desired role. 

We can help you decide what to include in your resume and which items to remove. Likewise, we can polish up your value proposition and help you highlight your most relevant skills for the dream position you had in mind. Schedule your consultation today with Capstone Resume Services!

Leave Out Your Entire Work History

‌If you’re applying for an entry level position or if you’re new to your chosen industry, it’s easier to keep your resume under a page. For more established professionals, it’s tempting to include every position you’ve ever had along with lengthy descriptions of each job. 

‌‌More concise yet powerful resumes are easier to scan for relevant information. When describing your applicable positions and skills, stick with more details for your most recent work history (8-10 years) and highlight transferable skills from other jobs. Potential employers want to hire you based on what they perceive your current skill set to be, and that is why your experience in the last decade is weighed the most. 

Check For Grammatical Errors and Misspellings

‌Before uploading your resume to any job posting, proofread it for mistakes. Keep in mind that resume language is different from prose, but blatant misspellings and grammatical errors need to be corrected. Spelling and grammatical errors signal a lack of attention to detail, and they are an easy way to weed out applicants. Any kind of spelling and grammatical errors can be a deciding factor in whether or not you get an interview. 

If you’re not comfortable proofing your own resume, have someone look it over before using it to apply for jobs. ‌Reading your resume out loud can help you restructure your job descriptions and accomplishment statements so they flow. 

Don’t Add Photos

‌It can be tempting to add a headshot to your resume, but it’s not necessary. Photos take up space that can be used to show your pertinent skills. Some applicant tracking systems can’t read photos, so adding one to your resume could get it tossed before the hiring manager ever sees it. 

‌‌You likely have a professional headshot on your LinkedIn profile, and if an employer is interested in you, they will probably look there(pro tip: it helps if you include a hyperlink to your profile). Don’t waste space on your resume, and instead focus on showcasing why you’re the best applicant for the job. 

Steer Clear of Buzzwords

Although your resume should include targeted keywords that match the job for which you’re applying, steer clear of buzzwords. These are words or phrases that are overused and end up cluttering your resume. Examples of buzzwords include: 

• ‌Extensive experience
• ‌Expert
• ‌Team player
• ‌Dynamic
• ‌Hard-working

‌‌This is not a comprehensive list of general buzzwords to avoid. Your resume should be tailored to your desired position and adding words like those listed above just serves as fluff or filler. Instead of peppering your resume with buzzwords, use actionable language to illustrate your skills and experience. 

‌Leave Out The Objective Statement

‌Whether to include an objective statement on your resume has been a debatable topic lately. Some resume experts stand by the objective statement, while others say you can scrap it in favor of a value proposition or similar language.

‌‌If you choose to keep your objective statement, don’t be generic with it. Use this statement to summarize who you are and how you can add value to the company in your desired role. Tailor it to the position you are applying for. 

Avoid Generic Job Descriptions

‌When describing your previous work experience, emphasize your accomplishments and demonstrate how you achieved results for your employer. Everyone performs differently in their roles. This is a way to show what you did in the role and approached the work. Simply including a list of duties and tasks you performed at your job doesn’t illustrate your skills. Copying a job description is bland and outdated.

‌‌Include specific examples of how you contributed to your company while doing your job. Instead of writing “responsible for managing the filing system,” use actionable language and show your results. Try: “Implemented a new filing system leading to a 20% reduction in research times.” 

Your Salary History

‌Most companies don’t negotiate salary until after the first interview. Including your salary history can exclude you from the applicant pool. It can also negatively impact your ability to negotiate. If your noted salary history is lower than comparable job descriptions, the company may try to start you at a pay that is too low. 

Craft The Perfect Resume With Capstone

‌There are many ways to structure your resume, and your applicable skills and job titles can vary based on your desired position. You may think that your resume highlights valuable skills and shows how you can benefit the company, but it might not have the right keywords for your desired position. 

Capstone Resumes Services can help you decide what to include in your resume and which items to remove. We can help you highlight your best skills, schedule your consultation today. 

Job seekers often ask how they can showcase their skills and why a company should hire them. Some things our professional writers like to highlight on resumes when job seekers have been at a company for years are promotions, professional development opportunities, highlight transferable skills, and the skills they’ve gained during their tenure with the employer. All of these are important to highlight, as it shows you’re continuously growing and improving yourself.

Your resume is your story, it’s the journey of your career and an indication of your professional self. It’s important for your resume to accurately reflect your accomplishments and skills. No matter how long you’ve been at a company, it’s important to present your work history as a positive attribute. Finding a new employee can be expensive and time-consuming, and companies are always looking for ways to promote long-term work, so highlight on your resume that you’re a worthwhile investment.

• Promotions – Highlight any promotions or leadership roles you’ve held during your time with the company. Showing your progression through a long tenure with a company is an excellent way to demonstrate your dedication to the job.
• Professional Development Opportunities – List any professional development opportunities, like grad school, certifications, conferences, workshops, etc you’ve had. It’s important to show the employer helped you grow in both expertise and soft skills, but it also shows the company cared about your professional development.
• Transferable Skills – Highlight any transferable skills that are necessary for a job in the new industry or role you’re interested in. This can help a leader in the organization determine if you’d be a good fit, and help them align you with the right position.
• Diversity of Skills – With any long-term job, you’ve probably obtained a variety of skills you might not have had before you started working with them. Or you improved on the ones you already had. If you grew in specific skill sets or took on more responsibilities that helped you perform better, make sure to highlight that on your resume.

When working on your resume, make sure all of your skills and credentials are recent and relevant. You won’t want a potential employer asking if you can do something just because it’s on your resume when in reality you haven’t done that particular skill in a while. The same goes for credentials, remove any old or expired credentials and certifications from your resume, or update them if you can.

Craft the Best Resume After a Long-Term Job

Capstone Resume Services can review your resume and make suggestions to help you explain your long-term job history better and land an interview. Our team of professional writers knows what a good resume includes and how to capitalize on your employment history. Learn more about our resume writing services and schedule your free consultation today!

Image Credit: Ben Kolde

Did you know, including a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile, can greatly increase the chance your resume will get noticed by hiring managers? It’s true. Better yet — it’s quick and easy!

‌A job search can feel daunting. Many aspects of the process are out of the job hunter’s control, so it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed and a little mystified about what actually happens once you hit the send button. ‌

Don’t worry. While every organization is unique, there are a few things you can count on when your resume lands at its destination (often a very busy hiring manager or assistant’s inbox — sometimes an AI-driven bot):

Your online presence matters (so make sure you have one)
LinkedIn is the preferred professional platform (so make sure you have a great profile there). Hiring managers and their assistants are busy (so make their lives easier by including hyperlinks that take them directly to your online assets)

Why LinkedIn Matters

LinkedIn is one of the most well-trafficked sites on the internet, but the breakdown is staggering. LinkedIn boasts over 720 million users, including 171 million from the US. LinkedIn users include highly educated, highly successful professionals — 50 percent of all online users with a bachelor’s degree or higher have a LinkedIn profile.

‌Those successful professionals include many people who may be directly involved in evaluating your application when you apply for a job. Currently, 63 million LinkedIn members hold decision-making positions.

It’s really no surprise to imagine the numbers involved when you consider how many job listings are posted directly to the site. Recent figures put active job postings on LinkedIn somewhere around the 20 million mark.

Hyperlinks will help you leverage your LinkedIn profile and help hiring managers find out more about what you have to offer.

How to Create and Use LinkedIn Hyperlinks

Once you’ve created a rich, detailed LinkedIn profile, it’s time to share it with the world, or at least with the right hiring managers and talent recruiters. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before you start sharing your link.

Customize your LinkedIn URL

When you create a LinkedIn account, the platform assigns a less-than streamlined URL. You might see your auto-generated hyperlink look something like https://linkedin.com/in/amyjones/193523/Q/356 — that’s not exactly eye-catching.

Take advantage of LinkedIn’s free customization option, which will result in a short, much more visually appealing link. Here’s how:

1. Click your icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
2. Click “View Profile.”
3. Click “Edit Public Profile & URL.”
4. Click the Edit pencil icon (next to your public profile URL).
5. Change the last part of the URL to include your first and last name (you may have to tinker a bit if the URL is already taken)
6. Don’t forget to save.

Where to Use LinkedIn Hyperlinks

Once you’ve created a customized hyperlink and feel confident your profile is in top shape, it’s time to share it. Here are a few places you can use your new hyperlink:

• On your resume (typed out and linked on your digital resume)
• Within your email signature
• In cover letters and messages with recruiters and other hiring professionals
• On your social platform profiles
• On your personal and professional websites
• As part of social media posts
• On networking materials, like physical or digital business cards

‌How to Create a Contact Info Line for your Resume

Be sure to include a concise, easy-to-find contact information line on your resume. Try this style:

City, ST | janedoe@domain.com | 555.555.1212 | LinkedIn‌

To make your digital resume organized, hyperlink your profile to the word “LinkedIn” and avoid typing out the full URL (don’t forget to hyperlink your email address, too). Making your information accessible with a single click is a win-win scenario. Hiring managers won’t have to dig for your information — or worse, give up trying when it becomes too time-consuming. Do yourself and hiring managers a favor by including a clickable link that takes them straight to your LinkedIn profile, where they can learn more about your background, interests, memberships, and achievements.

Bonus Tip: Create and Link to a Professional Portfolio

Your LinkedIn profile is a must-have when it comes to job seeking, but it’s one of many tools you can keep in your arsenal. Take advantage of the many easy-to-use online tools available to create a bright, modern online portfolio and link to it on your resume and social platforms.

‌A portfolio allows you to paint a more in-depth picture of who you are and what you’ve accomplished beyond a list. Sharing testimonials from happy clients and co-workers and showcasing some of your proudest professional moments on your portfolio can give hiring managers the confidence to bring you in for the next step in the application process.

LinkedIn Hyperlinks Make Hiring Managers Smile

Including a LinkedIn URL to your professional resume and other online assets will help to put you in the good graces of hiring managers. Be sure to routinely update your LinkedIn profile when important information changes or when you do something notable.

‌Thanks to your LinkedIn hyperlink, by the time a hiring manager reaches out to you, they should feel like they already have a good handle on who you are and what you have to offer.

Is your resume showcase ready? Capstone Resume Services certified resume writers are here to help! Reach out to learn how to create a gold-standard resume that will get results. Schedule your resume writing consultation today!‌